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Frederick County, Virginia
Frederick County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is included in the Winchester, Virginia-West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was formed in 1743 by the splitting of Orange County. For ten years it was the home of George Washington. As of 2010, the population was 78,305.http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data. 2010 U.S. Census Data: Virginia. Retrieved February 16, 2011 Its county seat is Winchester. The northernmost point in Virginia is located in Frederick County. History The area was settled by various cultures of indigenous peoples for thousands of years before European colonization. The "Indian Road" refers to a historic pathway made by local tribes. European Americans established Frederick County in 1743 from Orange County. Anglo-American settlers named the county for Frederick Lewis, Prince of Wales and eldest son of King George II of Great Britain. American Revolutionary War Commander-in-Chief of the Colonial forces, General George Washington's headquarters were located in Winchester. Washington represented Frederick County in his first elective offices, having been elected to the House of Burgesses in 1758 and 1761. Daniel Morgan was another famous General during the American Revolutionary War, from (present day Clarke County). American Civil War Winchester changed hands between the Confederate and Union Armies on average once every three weeks during the war. Many battles were fought in Frederick County. Some of those battles include: *First Battle of Kernstown, March 1862 *First Battle of Winchester, May 1862 *Second Battle of Winchester, June 1863 *Second Battle of Kernstown, July 1864 *Third Battle of Winchester, September 1864 *Battle of Cedar Creek, October 1864 The first constitution of West Virginia provided for Frederick County to be added to the new state if approved by a local election. http://www.wvculture.org/HISTORY/statehood/constitution.html, Article I, Section 2 Unlike those of neighboring Berkeley and Jefferson counties, Frederick County residents voted to remain in Virginia. Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.24%) is water. This is the northernmost county in the state of Virginia. Major Highways * Interstate 66 * Interstate 81 * U.S. Route 11 * U.S. Route 17 * U.S. Route 48 * U.S. Route 50 * U.S. Route 522 * State Route 7 * State Route 37 * State Route 55 * State Route 259 * State Route 277 Adjacent counties * Clarke County, Virginia - east * Warren County, Virginia - south * Shenandoah County, Virginia - southwest * Hardy County, West Virginia - southwest * Hampshire County, West Virginia - west * Morgan County, West Virginia - north * Berkeley County, West Virginia - northeast * Winchester, Virginia - center (enclave) National protected areas * Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park (part) * George Washington National Forest (part) Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 59,209 people, 22,097 households, and 16,727 families residing in the county. The population density was 143 people per square mile (55/km²). There were 23,319 housing units at an average density of 56/square mile (22/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.99% White, 2.62% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.66% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.56% from other races, and 1.01% from two or more races. 1.70% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 22,097 households out of which 36.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.50% were married couples living together, 8.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.30% were non-families. 19.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.02. In the county, the population was spread out with 26.40% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 31.90% from 25 to 44, 24.10% from 45 to 64, and 10.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 100.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.70 males. The median income for a household in the county was $46,941, and the median income for a family was $52,281. Males had a median income of $35,705 versus $25,046 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,080. About 4.00% of families and 6.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.30% of those under age 18 and 6.90% of those age 65 or over. Transportation *Winchester Transit provides weekday transit for the city of Winchester. Towns Incorporated Towns *'Middletown' *'Stephens City' Unincorporated Communities Education Frederick County is served by Frederick County Public Schools, which includes several middle, elementary, and high schools. Frederick County is also part of the region served by the Mountain Vista Governor's School that offers upper level classes to intellectually gifted high school students. County Seat *'Winchester' Note: Winchester, like all cities under Virginia law, is an independent city—politically independent of any county. See also *National Register of Historic Places listings in Frederick County, Virginia *List of routes in Frederick County, Virginia References External links *Official Website for the County of Frederick *Frederick County Public Schools *VAGenWeb Frederick County *Winchester-Frederick County Chamber of Commerce *Winchester Frederick County Convention and Visitor Bureau *Winchester Frederick County Circuit Court Clerks Category:Counties of Virginia Category:Frederick County, Virginia Category:Established in 1743 Category:Northwestern Turnpike